Born in 1921 in Greenville, N.C., Billy Taylor moved to Washington, D.C., at age 5. He grew up in a musical family and tried his hand at various musical instruments, including guitar, drums and saxophone, but was most successful at the piano.
Taylor graduated from Virginia State University with a degree in music in 1942, then made a beeline for the bebop scene in New York City. Taylor quickly became entrenched in the city's hothouse jazz community: Within one week, he was invited to join Ben Webster's group, and also played with Oscar Pettiford, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and the legendary Art Tatum, who became a mentor to the young pianist.
Billy Taylor Archive
